Brief sleep-like brain activity may help explain attention lapses in ADHD

A new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests brief episodes of “sleep-like” brain activity during wakefulness may contribute to attention difficulties in adults with ADHD.Led by cognitive neuroscientist Elaine Pinggal of Monash University in Melbourne, researchers examined this phenomenon in 32 adults with ADHD who had discontinued medication, compared with 31 neurotypical controls. Participants completed a sustained attention task while researchers measured markers of sleep-like brain activity using electroencephalography.Poor task performanceThe study found that individuals with ADHD experienced these sleep-like episodes more frequently than controls. Notably, these episodes were associated with poorer task performance, including more frequent attention lapses, slower reaction times, and increased errors. Participants with ADHD also reported greater subjective sleepiness.The findings suggest that these brief intrusions of sleep-like activity, sometimes described as “local sleep” in the awake brain, may represent a neurophysiological mechanism underlying inconsistent attention in ADHD.Pinggal noted that this type of brain activity is not unique to ADHD and can occur in anyone during cognitively demanding tasks. "Everyone experiences these brief moments of sleep-like activity," she wrote. "In people with ADHD, however, this activity occurs more frequently, and our research suggests this increased sleep-like activity may be a key brain mechanism that helps explain why these individuals have more difficulty maintaining consistent attention and performance during tasks."Future treatmentThe study points to potential future treatment avenues. Previous research in neurotypical populations has shown that auditory stimulation during sleep can enhance slow-wave activity, which may in turn reduce sleep-like intrusions during wakefulness. The authors suggest this approach could be explored as a way to improve attention and task performance in individuals with ADHD."These findings bridge sleep and attention research in ADHD, offering new insights into ADHD’s heterogeneous nature and potential intervention targets," the author wrote.

Brief sleep-like brain activity may help explain attention lapses in ADHD

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